Draft gauge



Jan. 30, 1923. 1,443,785.

Cl BOLUNGER.

DRAFT GAUGE. FILED SEPT. H. 1919. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Jan. 30, 1923. 1,443,785. C. BOLLINGER.

DRAFT GAUGE.

. FILED sEPT.11,1919. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

5f y 7M A Tom/512s ,MQW/Mem Patented Jan. 30, 1923.

UNITE STATES CHARLES BOLLINGER,

0F CHICAGO, ILLlNOIS.

DRAFT GAUGE.

Applicationk led September To @ZZ whom it may con/cern.'

Be it known that l, @Hannes a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of illinois, have invented new and useful improvements in Draft Gauges, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to draft gauges and more particularly to dupleX diderential indicating draft gauges whereby direct readings of the draft at. different points, as well as a direct reading of the differential between the drafts at these points, arev simultaneously indicated by the gauge.

The utility of a draft gauge, in view of the character and general intelligence of the individuals who ordinarily read these instruments, is dependent largely upon the ease with which they can be read to convey the desired information. Thus, elaborate instruments which require refined settings and the readings of which are of value merely as datal for calculations to obtain the desired information are of little, if any, use or value tothe average employee of the boiler room. Such instruments are consequently of no practical value as they are not used by the individual firing the boiler. Therefore, an instrument which will indicate directly to the fireman the draft reading at different points in the lire-bonr and also the difference in the drafts at these points without any mental effort on his part will overcome the principal difliculty encountered in the practical use and application of the information derived from draft gauges. lt is, therefore, one of the objects of this invention to produce an improved form of indicating draft gauge which will give a direct reading of the draft at two different points in the fire-box, and also indicate directly the differential between the drafts at these two points.

Another object consists in the production of an improved and simplied indicating draft gauge provided with means adaptedto `indicate directly the. frictional draft drop through the boiler proper.

A further object comprises thel production of a simplified and compact construction of indicating draft gauge adapted tol indicate directly the desired information, from which the proper firing of the boiler will be readily conveyed to a man of the BoLLrNorlm 11, 1919. Serial No. 323,132.

general intelligence employed for this classof work. Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the accompanying illustrations, the following detailed description, and the appended claims.

The gauge or instrument constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention is of primary importance in measuring the draft at various points in the lire-box of a boiler, but obviously can be used for other purposes within the scope and spirit of the invention as setout in the appended claims. For the purposes of description, however', a

Aspecific embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and in the following description for the sake of clearness and brevity this embodiment and its application relire-boxes onlywill be described, its application for measuring drafts in any other device or devices being readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description of this specific application thereof. ln the accompanying drawings- Fig. l illustrates a View in perspective of the complete instrument;

F ig. 2 is a front elevation of the instrument with the cover of the housing'removed;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the instrument taken on the plane represented by line 3-3 ofv Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows, and illustrates the operating mechanism. of the instrument;

Fig. l is a section taken on the plane represented by line 4 4 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows, and illustrates the mechanism utilized .to actuate the indicating mea-ns of the instrument; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the plane represented by the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows and illustrates the means utilized for adjusting the operation of the instrument.

illustrated in the drawings, the instrument is enclosed in` a housing' preferably made of cast iron which comprises a base portion l() and a cover l1, the cover' ll being secured to the base portion l0 by means of screws such` as 19. The upper portion of the cover is fitted with an arcuated slot in which is positioned a transparent medium, preferably glass, 13, through which the indicating means, such as the scales and pointers of the instrun'ient, are visible. T he lower portion of ther cover contains an aperture ld over which is placed a plate l5, preferably scoured to the cover by means of screws such i as 16 and 17. This aperture 14 is provided so thataccess to the adjusting portions of the indicating means is permitted .without the removal of the complete coverll.

. rfhe operating n'iechanism of the `instrument is all secured to a bracket 18 com-v prising the base portion 19, the upwardly extending arm 20, zand :the :horizontal ,arm 21, to which are secured the forwardly eX- :tending bracket` arms 22, 23, and 24,iand lthe downwardly extending bracket arms 25, 26,

and .27. k'The' vhorizontal arm 21 .of the y bracket 18falso carries.theupwardlyeXtendg ing arm 28 .which divides .at its upper end into the-twov arms-29-and 30, said arms 2S) Vand 30 serving to carry va stationary scale 31,

`said scalezfbeing-secured tothe arms 29 and 80 preferably by screws such: as 32. ASecured IIto the 'front face ofthe bracket arm 24, by `means'of-any suitable means such as rivets 83, is-ia :downwardly extending .plate 34 which car-ries the adjusting means for the indicating-mechanism hereinafter to be described.

"The bracket arm .28 has positioned inboth l Ifaces thereof a conicalbearing aperture, the

f Aconical bearing aperturein the back face of said arm receiving the conical end 35 0fa- .rotatable lrod V'36, fthe conical end '370i the other end of said rod being fitted-in a con i cal-bearingin the end of a screw 38 which is .positioned in a fthreaded aperture of the bracket arm 22. The screw 38 isfitted'with a lock-nut39, wherebythe screw 38 willfbe positively'positioned when the rotatable rod v36 vhas been suitably mounted between ythe bearing `in the bracket-arm '28 and the end of' the 4screw 38. The conical bearing in the other face of' the bracket arm 23 receives the .conical end 40 of a rotatable rod 41, the other c onicalend 42 ofsaid rod being posi- 'tioned in a conicalbearin-g inthe yvend of a `screw 43 fitted in a threadedaperture ofthe bracket arm 24. The lrotatable rod 41 is .mounted in its bearings and held in position in a manner identical to that linst described for the rod 36the screw 43 being positively ,positionedby means of the lock-nut 44.

Rigidly securedto the rod 86 in any suitable manne-r, preferably by pressing it onto the rod, is a sleeve 45 fitted with a down' manner with av downwardly extending arm .51 to which is secured in alike manner the leverarm 52.

I' Secured tothe base portion 19 of the vbracket 1 8 are the suction, operatedmembers Or devices 53. and 54. ,Thesefsuction.operated .members are exactly alike and well known `ltothoseskilled.inthe art, and consequently a very brief description of one lof them will beisuflicient to show' the cooperative relation between thev suction operated member and --the rest of; the1 mechanism- T he suction operated members consist of a plurality of' discs such as 55,which are in terconnected at the middle `by the .cylindri- .cal vtubes the entire device being her- Anietically .sealed except at its outlet 57 from the lower disc 55. Thediscs 55 arelhollow and are spaced apart a'distanceiequ-a'lto the thickness of the/disc 55 bythe cylindrical interconnecting members 56, whereby, when a suction is .applied yto the youtlet 57 lthe discs will be drawn toward ione another,

. thereby l"lowering the .horizontal position of theftop surface. ofthe upper discv'55.

vThe outlet 57 isiafthreaded pipe ortube soldered to the lower disc 55 and serves as the. means of' connecting the suctionmeinbers- 53 i and 54 tothebase 19 of the bracket 18, 4thisconn'ection Ibeing .accomplished byv means of the nuts 60 ,and 61 respectively,.asclearly .indicated .in Fig. 3.

rl`he vbracket 1-8, together `with ithe associated lsuction devices 53 vand-54 are rigidly lattached to the'base 62 ofthe housing' by means `of the .nuts .63 .and 64, which' are screw-threaded under :the .outlet pipes '5T which project through apertures inthe base 62 'of thehousing.

Secured to the upper -disc '55 vof .each i of` .the suction devices' and54 isa disc-such as .66 which '.has a lcentral scre'wfthreaded aperture adapted to, receive ascrewfthreaded bolt such as 67. The "ahead of the `bolt `is fitted with a screw-threaded aperture, which `receives the lower screw-threaded kend 168 of an interconnecting flink..69 which runites the lever-arm 48 .with the b.olt67 of one suction' device 54 andthe lever-.arm 52 withfthe bolt 67 vof the other suctioiiidevice 53.1.(See

Figs. -3 and 4.) i

`The links 68 andr69 and theirinethodof interconnection between the leverfarm, and

the suctionfdevices is identical, and conse-- quently a description of one of Said linkatogether with its interconnecting means .and method of operation, will 'be sufficient ;to outline vthe method in which both of kthese links are, connectedinto the.apparatus. .For the purpose of `this descriptiomreference is `made to Figs. `4 .and from whichit will be noted-thatthezupper end of the link, 69 is loosely connected to the leverfarnfi...48k by' means of ascrewsuch .as 70, andialso that ladjustment of the lengthof the lever-armi69 Amay be obtained byiadjustingfthe height to which the bolt: 67 is screwed into tliedisci66 llO oi' the depth to which thethreaded lower l end 68 of the link 69 is threaded yinto ,the

yso

48, which, due to its rigid interconnection to the rotatable rod 86, will cause a rotation ot said rod commensurate with the movement of the link 69.

For the purpose of controlling the effect of the draft on the discs 55 and consequently the effective pull of the draft on the link 69 and the `lever-arm 48, a spring actuated means is interconnected with the link 69 which counteracts the effect of the dratt through the discs on the said link 69. This 'counter-acting means is connected to the link 69 (see Fig. 4) by means ot a loop link 72, secured to the link 69, through an aperture 73. The upper end of the loop-link is connected to the end 74 ot a spiral spring 75 having a straight arm extension 76 protruding into the path of the link 72, so that the hook end 74 thereof will exert a direct upward pull on the link 69, due to the tension of the spiral spring 75.

The inner end of the spiral spring is connected in any suitable way to a rod 77 rotatably secured to the bracket 18, as hereinatter to be described. In the preferred form of construction, as herein illustrated, the end or thespring is secured. to the rod by means of a disc 78 pressed onto said rod, the said disc being fitted with a slot 79 into which a right angular bend 80 oi the end ot the spring 75 its. Obviously, any other means tor Securing the spring to the rod .could be utilized.

The interconnecting link 69 cooperating with the lever-arm 52 is equipped with a like counteracting spring operated means, the spring 76 in this case being rigidly secured in a like manner to a rotatable cylindrical tube 80. The tube 8O is rotatably mounted in bearings fitted in the downwardly extending arms 26 and 27 and carries at its forward end a transverse rod 8l which projects laterally back of the plate 84. The rod 77 is rotatably secured in a bearing in they downwardly extending arni25 and extends through the tube 80 to the front end of the mitted to the link 72, whi'fh will in turn react on the interconnecting link 69. Likewise, if the arm 8l rigidly connected to the tube 80 is moved upwardly the spiral spring 75 secured to the said tube will. be similarly tensioned and said tension will be similarly transmitted to the interconnecting link 69 connected to the suction` device 58.

To permit adjustment of the rods 8i ainl 82, and likewise to hold the spiral spring 7 5 associated with these rods, under tension an adjustment device is provided which is secured to' the plate 84. This adjustment device can obviously take any one ci in different forms but preferably consists discs 83 and-84 snugly embedded in apertures iitted in the plate 84, each oit said discs having integral therewith enlarged annular discs 85 and 86 respectively which position the discs 88 and 84 in the plate 84, so that the rear tace of said discs will be substantially flush with the rear face of the plate 84. The discs 88 and 84 have Secured thereto at the front end screw heads 87 vand.

the screw heads 87 and 88, are of much smaller diameter than the annular discs 85 and 86, and consequently the plate 89 functions to hold the discs 88 and 84 in the position in the plate 84.

The discs 88 and 84 are each equipped (see Figs. 8 and 4) with outwardly extending pins 91 and 92 respectively, the pin 9i resting in the path of the arm 8l and holding said arm inposition and its associated spiral spring 75 in tension. Likewise `the pin 92 rests in the path oi the arm' 82 and holds the arm 82 in position and its associated spiral spring85 in tension. The plate 84 and the associated mechanism inst described are positioned under the plate 15,.

whereby, when the plate is removed, the screw heads 87 88 will be accessible from the front orn the instrument.

lt will now be evident from the foregoing description that when these vscrew heads are accessible the counteracting effect of the spring (5 can be adyusted lroin the iront of the linstrumerjc by properly adjusting the position ot these screw heads. Thus, inasmuch as the pins 91 and 92 are positioned at the outer peripheral surface of their associated discs 88 and 84, it will `"follow that these discs are turned by means o their associated screwheads that these pins will move a distance substantially equal to the diameter of the discs for each 186O rotation and that this movement will be transmitted to the associated' lateral arms 8l and 82. This movement of the arms 8l and 82, it

an upwardly direction, will obviously placev the spiral spring 5 under addition-altension and will haa-.fe the opposite eil'eet when the arms .are moved in a downwardly direc-` tion. v y n Secured to the rod 36. in any'suitable Way, preferably by pressing it ontoA the said rod7 `is an arm which carries at its end an emapertured to receive the rod 36;

bossing i rlhe arm 93 at its upper 'end is equipped With'the indicator 94 (see FigrDa-Which indicator ridesover the 'liront surface of the stationary scale 31, the arm 93 proiecting through an aperture 95 cut in the scale`31. lilntending dovmwardly 'from the embossing v94 is threaded pin' 96 Wliichcarries a counter veighting balance 97,'the purpose ci which is `well known to those skilled inthe art. f

Secure/l to the and 99 which converge at their lower end into a single piece 100 (see Fig. 1)-wvhich is fitted with an embossing .101 `(see Fig.` 3) which isforced preferably onto the' rod 41. TheembossinglGl carries a downwardly extending threaded pin 102 rltted` with a counterweighting balance 103 identical -to that furnished for the arm 93. The upwardly extending scale supporting armsv'98 and 99 carry a movable lscale 104 Whichis positioned iii-iront of t-he stationary scale -31 and below the calibrations on said'stationary scale. AThe -movable scalecarries at its lett endover the Zeroi calibration an indicating pointer which cooperates With the scale calibrations on' the stationary scale'31.

t' In connecting up the instrument the point' of maximum draftv is connected tothe pipe 57 associated with the indicatingvpointer 94 and the point of minimum draft is con-v nected to the pipe 57 associated with the movable scale 104. When the instrument is thus connected and readings are takenythe relative positions of the indicatingpointers and the movable scale are indicated inil11 ig.

2. When thuslpositi'oned it will be noted that the indicating pointer 95 will give a reading on yboth the stationary scale 31y and the movable scale 104; Whereas, the indicating pointer 105 associated with the movable scalev 104 will indicate a. reading on the stationary scale 31. rllhese readings Willin- .dicate directly .from the scale the greater draft at the one point in the lire-box by the indicating pointer 94 and the smaller draft by the indicating vpointer 105 ot the com# bined movable scale and indicating 'pointer 104. The reading by the indicator 94 onthe movable scale 104 Will indicate directly the differential between the large and'f'small draft readings. Thus for thefarbi'trary setting of the instrument illustrated in Fig. 2, the maximum readingis eight-tenths the minimum draft reading is two-tenths j yare ce rotatable rod '41 areup-A `wardly .extending scale supportingarmsv 98 vand \ instrument -rccnstracted the teachings or this invention that direct readings tot and the fd,iti"erenti'alI between these readings, as sho-Wn by 'the nidicator94y on the movable scale, isfsi'n-,t'enths a very brietfdescription of the operation o'fthe `ii'istrtmoent is as follows:

VThe instrument isordinarilyT vpositioned in some convenient place in the boiler room :com fr.vhere. the-1pipes 5? are ycarried by suitable pipe extensions to thep'articular poin In theire-boxof Twhich direct draft residir areto be obtainedn Usually 'these direct draft- `Headings are obtained for al point directly in the'center ofthe 'iirelbox .and one over Ithe breeching "or v`the rear end V/*hen readings ot' this type ired, theenitlet or pipe 57associ-ated with the indica b' pointer 94 ispositioned orer'the breechil'ig and the outlet 157 associated `with. the indicating Vpointer 105 is po- "sitioned over the center of the: lire-bmi:'V

v5When the instrument is thus?l conne'ctedyv it will bevevident that the suction createdby the draft-.atthese two vpoints Will'be communicated the vsuction operated means y53 manner lthe draft VWillreact on the suction operated mea-ns 54', which, through' its associated interconnecting link 69 and the er the statioraigv scale 31. Ylie'n4 the drait-s atl thesetivo points in'theiire-box have operated upon their respective suction operating" devicesa theielative setting of the pointers and "105v and the movable 104v Will be `as indicated in' Figi 2. For the purpose or adJustingand prop- The suction operated means will reacttlirough the interconnecting link;` 69 on the lever-arm 527 :Whichvvillfrotate the rod 41, Asaid rodcarrying with' itthe combined movable scale '104 and the`a`ssocia-ted'indicatingpointer 105. 'na like lever-arm, 48, 'will rotate the rod 36 which carry with it the indicating ointer '105` 100 erly callibrating the intrument the adjustments between the niterconn'ecting`linkv` 69 and the suctiondevices and 54 and the spiraly spring 75, which operatej'to counteractA the .effect of the suction operated devices., -ivillbe utilized as hereinbefore described. j l 'lt Will noviw be evident 'from the foregoing description that in using a draft gauge or in accordance with ltvvill also be evident that with an instru- :the instrumentwithout any rae-arse f r /3 vh'cli ives to the fireman the esired, without any effort on v, for rcguiating the performance oi 'tire li' i the lire-box, and inasmuch as this information can be obtained by the fireman thout any eliorton his part the gauge bec nes of practical value because this intormation will consequently be utilized.

Ul/viously, the inve on is not limited to the specific embodiment thereoin herein illustrated and described, but is capable oiE many variations and other applications without dep` Afrom its spirit and scope set ifi/.ih in tbe following claims.

l-iavino' thus described my -im invention, what l claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. ln a device et the character described, in combination, a stationary scale, a. combined movable scale and indicating; pointer, an indicating' pointer, two suction operated means one individual to said indicating pointer and the other to said combined.

scale and indicating pointer, means to interconnect said suction operated means to different points, means mechanically interconnecting said suction operated means and said combined scale and pointer, means mechanically interconnecting said suction operated means and said indicating pointer, said indicating pointer and combined movable scale and indicating pointer, when actuated by said suction ej erated means cooperating with said stationary scale to give a directl reading' of the draft at different points, and the dilerential between the drafts at these points, and means tor adjusting` the turning effort exerted by said suction operated means on said indicating pointer and said combined scale and indicating pointer.

2. ln a d vice of the character described, in combination, a stationary scale, a combined movable scale and indicating pointer, means to rotate said combined scale and indicating pointer, an indicating pointer,

means to rotate said indicating pointer, twol suction operated means one individual to said combined movable scale and the other indicating pointer, and to said indicating pointer, means to interconnect saidsuction operated means to different points, means mechanically interconnecting said. suction operated means and said combined scale and indicatingr pointer, means to mechanically interconnect said suction operated means and said indicating pointer, spring operated means adaptedlt counteract the turning efort of said suction operated means on said combined scale and indicating pointer and on said indicating pointer, and adjusting means whereby the counteracting eifect of said springr operated means can be controlled,

said indicating pointer and combined movablescale and indicating; pfrinter whenactuated by said suction opor ated means cooperating with said scale to give a di et eading ot rthe draft at said different points and the dillere'ntial between the drafts at these points.

ln a device ot the character describ in combination, a stationary scale, a combine/.il movable scale and -indicating pointer, me to rotatably support the same, an indicating pointer, vmeans to rotat bly support the same, suction operated means, means to interconnect said suction operated means different points. means mechanically intere'onnectinn` sain suction operated means and said combined scale and indicating pointer,` means mechanically .interconnecting` said suction operated means and said indicating pointer, means for adjusting the etlective movement of said'suction operated means for a given amount of suction, and means 'for adjustino' the effective movement of said indicatingmeans for a given amount of movement in said suction operated means, said indicating pointer and combined scale and indicating pointer, when actuated by said suction operated means, cooperating with said stationary scale to ,cive a direct reading oi the draft at said diierent points and the dierential between the draft at these points.

Li. ln a device of the character described, in combination, a static-nary scale, a combined movable scale and indicating pointer, means to rotatably support the same, an indicating pointer, means to rotatably support the same, suction operated means individual to each said combined movable scale and said indicating pointer, a link interconnecting each said suction operated means to said rotatable means, and means associated with said link whereby the elfect ot the movement of said suction operated means on said rotatable means can be adjusted.

5. In a device oli' the character described, in combination, a stationary scale, a combined movable scale and indicating pointer, means to rotatably support the saine, an

indicating pointer, means to rotatably support the same, suction operated means individual to each said combined movable scale and said indicating pointer, a link interconnecting each said suction operated means to said. rotatable means. means associated with said link whereby the eiect of the movement of said suction operated means on said rotatable means can be adjusted, spring; operated means adapted to counteract the turning effort of said suction operated means on said combined scale and pointer and said indicator pointer, and means whereby the counteraction of said spring operated means can be adjusted.y

6. In a device of the character described,

in combination, a stationary scale, a combined movable scale and indicating pointer, means to rotatably support the same, an indicating pointer, means to rotatably support the same, suction operated means individual to each said combined movable scaleand said indicating pointer, a link interconnecting' each suction operated means to said ro- 13a-table means, means associated With said link whereby the eifect of the movement of said suction operated means on said rotatable means can be adjusted, spring operated means adapted tocounterac't the turning effort of said suction operated means on said combined scale andpointer and said indi cator pointer, means whereby the counteractingof said spring operated means can be adjusted, a housingl for enclosing said dev-v vice, and an aperture in said housing through which the said last mentioned ad-V justing means can be operated; a

7. In a device of thecharacter desscribed,VU

vin combination, a plurality of suction operferential between the suctionexerted on said suction operated means .is directly indicated on said scales, means for adjusting the effective movement of said; indicatingv means for a given amount of movement ofsaid suction operated means, ay housing. for vcompletely'enclosing'hsaid device, and-an apei'- ture in said housing through'which the ad-l justing means controlling the effective' movement of said indicating means can be operT ated.v

scribed myfname.r

CHARLES BoLLiNeERf v v v 40 In Witness whereof, I have liereuntof'sub 

